Travelodge, the UK’s first budget hotel chain, which operates more than 600 hotels across the UK, Ireland and Spain has opened its seventh hotel in Bristol – creating 25 new jobs in the process. 

To mark the opening of the 85-room Bristol Abbey Wood Travelodge a ribbon cutting ceremony was held on Thursday, June 13, attended by Laura Sims, Travelodge Regional Director; Kirsty Berry, Travelodge Head of Estates and Councillor Franklin Owusu-Antwi, Chair of South Gloucestershire Council.

The new Travelodge hotel is situated in the Abbey Wood Retail Park, close to the Bristol Ministry of Defence offices. The site is located within easy access to the M4, M5 and Bristol city centre.

Bristol Abbey Wood Travelodge has been developed to the hotel chain’s new premium look and feel design – which is the group’s most significant brand transformation to date. The new design includes all the low cost efficiencies you would expect from Travelodge but with the added benefit of thoughtful, elegant design and homely touches throughout its interiors. It also features a stylish restaurant area, The Bar Cafe, which offers guests breakfast, dinner and a bar menu.

Sustainability has been an important factor when designing the hotel, which has a BREEAM Very Good rating and an Energy Performance Certificate rating of B. The hotel also includes a number of sustainable features such as PV cells on the roof, EV car charging and bird and bat boxes incorporated into the hotel building.

Travelodge considers Bristol a key area for growth and development, with the group currently searching for a further four hotel sites across the city. Travelodge has also identified 40 locations across the South West region, where it would like to open a new hotel. This includes areas such as Bath, Exeter and Cheltenham. Last year, Travelodge appointed Hartnell Taylor Cook as retained agents to support the company with this South West expansion programme.

Bristol Abbey Wood Travelodge was developed and funded by Invesco Real Estate on behalf of a UK investor. The scheme was constructed by Marshalls Building contractors.

Steve Bennett, Chief Property and Development Officer, Travelodge, said: “We are delighted to announce that our seventh hotel in Bristol has now opened its doors. With its new premium look and feel design and great location, I have no doubt that our latest hotel offering in Bristol will be a strong addition to the area. We have a fantastic hotel team in place, and already we are receiving very positive feedback from customers.

“Bristol and the South West is a key growth area for Travelodge, as the region is attracting record visitor numbers but there is a shortage of good quality and good value accommodation. To help fill this growing demand from business and leisure travellers, we have identified 40 locations across the region where we want to open a Travelodge hotel. This includes areas such as Bath, Exeter and Cheltenham.”

Travelodge has a further four hotels currently under construction – three in London; Bermondsey, Beckenham and Chiswick as well as its first hotel in Rotherham. The group also recently announced it is due to start construction on a new hotel in Stratford, London later this year.